


Promise

by Ian_the_Existential_Crisis



Series: Serendipity [3]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety, Beingings of darksparks, Loba and Mirage are Step-Siblings, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Multi, Polyamory, Renee and Taejoon are cousins, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27682154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ian_the_Existential_Crisis/pseuds/Ian_the_Existential_Crisis
Summary: Taejoon didn't consider himself smart. Smart people could explain things, they could work out problems, and they could talk to people.Smart people learned from their mistakes.And, for the most part, Taejoon couldn't. He didn't fall in line with what he equated to be smart. Therefore he wasn't smart. He was just a pretender, a sheep dressed as a wolf. Which he realized was opposite of what the saying normally was, but it was a better representation of how he truly felt.OrTaejoon loves his idiot boyfriend but gets insecure being in a polyrelationship .
Relationships: Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt, Crypto | Park Tae Joon/Mirage | Elliott Witt/Octane | Octavio Silva, Mirage | Elliott Witt/Octane | Octavio Silva
Series: Serendipity [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993042
Kudos: 27





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Its three am, I and once again writing stories nobody wants to read, but this one is kinda more for me because I'm not okay.
> 
> Edit: I fixed part of the story where I accidently made it seem like Taejoon didn't like being touched. I'd like to remind everyone that I write my stories at 4 am and I don't know what I'm doing with my life anymore.

Taejoon's cat-like eyes narrowed at the screen of his switch. He was so done with the game he was playing. Yes, dressing up his character and modeling the world to his own design was fun for a while, but he was bored.

And not just with the game. Life was boring.

School; boring.

Reading; boring.

Gaming; boring.

Some piece of him longed for something more. But he wasn't sure what. It would have been so much easier for him if his mind would just, for once in his life, work with him instead of against him and simply give him the answer he was looking for.

But no, that would be too easy.

"Renee." He yawned. She had been so silent that he almost forgot that he wasn't actually home. He didn't feel like going home so he decided to stay with his aunt and Renee. They lived closer to the school anyway.

His eyes glanced over at her, lounging on her bed, half asleep. He'd been sitting on the floor like he normally did. Something about sitting in chairs really just didn't vibe well with him.

"Hmm?" She hummed at him, her blue eyes not opening.

People always said he had cat-like eyes because of how they were shaped, but really it was Renee. She had sleepy kitty eyes, and a light frown whenever she wasn't talking about that tiny blonde.

Natalie? That sounded right. Probably.

"Wake up. I'm bored."

Renee groaned at him. "Play your game, I'm tired."

"You're always tired."

"Go bother Octavio, or Elliott. I'm trying to take my pre-sleep nap."

"Can't." He mumbled. "They're on a date."

That grabbed her attention. Renee rolled over and looked at him. "Like a date, date?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you were dating Elliott? Did that loser dump you or something?"

Tae scrunched his nose. "As eloquent as ever. No we didn't break up, Elliott wanted to be poly."

"And you said okay?"

The way her voice went high made him flinch. He knew she was about to jump to his defense. He hadn't really been okay with Elliott and Octavio dating. He didn't want to get left behind. And he wasn't exactly the best when it came to people and communication, but he didn't want to say no. Not to Elliott. Elliott was wonderful, positive, bright, smart, caring. Everything Taejoon knew he wasn't. Elliott loved being around people, loved showing affection, and Taejoon just couldn't sometimes. No matter how hard he tried.

And Renee knew that. She knew everything. Because as much as she moaned and groaned about her cousins personal life and love life she had always been there for him.

"Before you get angry-"

"Too fuckin late!" She seethed.

"-I take full responsibility." He finished as smoothly as he could while watching her fume from the floor. "When he asked I could have said no. But, I know Octavio. And I know Elliott. So it's okay."

"I swear to god, Taejoonie, if they hurt you I will make them wish I never introduced you to them."

"Renee, Elliott was my friend before yours. I met him at an away game at my old school."

"I'll hurt him all the same." She threatened.

"Yeah if you can keep your eyes open." He teased her lightly. "Elliott knows that I understand numbers better than people, he probably just needed someone more social to be with when I can barely function as a human."

"Speaking of barely functioning as a human, that blonde girl in my class, the one I told you about."

"Natalie?"

"So you were paying attention." She grinned at him, leaning over the side of her bed. Her elbows barely skimmed the carpet. "She told me that she hates me."

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't think she understands what she means. I wonder if she's ever hated anyone before."

"I don't know." Tae shrugged. "There's a lot to hate about you."

"Very funny. Joking makes you more human, now Elliott won't need Silva." Her eyes rolled. "But it's okay if she hates me. I think it's cute."

Taejoon plucked at the carpet with his chewed down nails. "Only you would think it's a turn on to be hated."

"You don't get to pick on me for my love life. Not until you man up and admit that Elliott dating Octavio is bothering you."

"I don't see the reason on to admit that. I know how much Elliott adores attention. In fact I think I know that better than anyone else. So if I can make my boyfriend happy by willingly and knowingly letting him have someone as loving as he is, I don't see the problem."

"So he actually got over that thing. That dislike of being touched."

"No- not really." He admitted. It was the first time he admitted it out loud, well he wasn't admitting that Elliott's touch thing was beyond his help, but Renee would understand, she always did. "Elliott needs to learn to hug and kiss. I can love him, but I can't help him, not in all the ways he needs. So I'm more than willing to step aside so he can have someone else who can fill the void."

"So it doesn't bother you even in the slightest that you are stuck here with me while he and Silva are out, somewhere doing god knows what? Tell me, look me in the eyes and tell me that it doesn't bother you."

Taejoon managed to meet her blue eyes, but he couldn't force the lie out.

It bothered him a lot that he didn't feel good enough for Elliott. That Elliott would need someone else because he was lacking. But even if his insecurities were stopping him, they shouldn't stop Elliott. At least he didn't want to break up. At least he still loved him.

For now.

Panic rose in his chest at the last thought. Octavio was a great friend, one that Renee had been willing to introduce to her very shy and insecure cousin, but he hoped that it didn't work out between him and Elliott. He didn't want to be replaced and lose him.

"Figure your shit out before you judge me." Renee huffed, there was a playful tone to her voice, probably in hopes that he wouldn't panic from her words, but he was already there, on the edge, doing that. "For a genius, you're super stupid."

He just laughed at her statement. It was all he could do. A breathless laugh because he couldn't breathe he couldn't see, he could barely think.

_For now._

_._

"How did your date go?" Taejoon asked before sitting next to his boyfriend in their first period class. It was advanced placement history, so nothing he had to worry too much about.

Elliott looked up at him from his book. Was he cramming again? Was there a test? Tae felt confident enough that if there was a test he would pass. Maybe not top of the class as usual, but probably a B average.

"It was good. Great." Elliott beamed at him with that brighter than bright smile. Something that Taejoon felt like he wouldn't no longer be the only one to see. "Tav and I have a lot in common."

"Oh." He swallowed. Was the room getting smaller? No, just is anxiety?

"I know you guys have been friends forever and you guys share your games, but I finally found someone who understands my sense of humor. It's great. We can play off of each other's jokes. He and I should be a comedy duo."

"I didn't think you two would hit it off so well with your no touching rule." Taejoon hoped that his face had stayed calm, neutral, and hadn't betrayed his underling shaky self-worth issues.

"He seemed really cool about it. Maybe I'll work up the nerve to invite him over sometime so I can test it out. If things go bad I can just hop in the shower."

Taejoon laughed, and not because of the relief that flooded him up in learning that Elliott still wasn't okay touching Octavio. "Yeah, yeah. That's not weird at all. I remember when I first tried to hold your hand, our first date- remember, during that horror movie. I thought the movie scared you."

"I'm still surprised that you agreed to a second date. Most people would get freaked out if their date left them to take a forty-five minute shower because they held their hand."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm a tiny bit weird."

"Hey." Elliott's voice changed to something slightly serious. His laughter stopped. "You should be there when I invite him over. So you know, in case anything happens, you'll be there."

"Wouldn't that be… you know. Uncomfortable?" Tae shifted in his seat. He really, really, really wanted nothing more than to not be a third wheel to his own boyfriend. His fragile self-esteem was already rattled by Elliott's sudden wish to be poly, but that would just be icing on the cake. He didn't know if he was strong enough to handle that.

"No, it will be fine. Look, how about we talk to Tav about it at lunch. I'm sure that he'll love the idea. Come on, babe, please." Those big brown eyes stared at him lovingly, filled with hope. Elliott knew what he was doing. He knew what that look did to him.

"Elliott…" He sighed.

"You're the best!"

.

Elliott and Octavio where engrossed in what movie the three of them were going to watch Friday night at Elliott's place- because yeah it was fine with everyone but Tae and he couldn't say a fucking word- so they completely missed what happened.

It was, hands down, the most amusing thing that Taejoon witnessed in his entire life, and Elliott, comedian king, Witt had confessed his undying - though Tae could see the flame flickering out - love to him.

The small blonde, Natalie, approached his cousin with her chest puffed out, looking like she was ready to throw a punch. This _little_ girl approached Renee like they were enemies about to fight as stated so simply that Tae almost snickered. "I hate you."

It sounded like a fucking love confession.

No wonder Renee liked her. That was so balls to the walls cute that he would barely breathe just watching them. The only thing that kept him from kneeling over and dying of laughter, other than his calm persona, and Renee would outright murder him, and well, this blonde looked like she might murder him too, and he didn't bother to bring an inhaler with him to school which would make Elliott freak out because his locker was always a mess and he - for some unknown reason - was the one that Tae left in charge of his spare; he really should get that back and give it to Renee - okay so there were a lot of reasons, but the main one was the movie conversation was keeping him grounded.

They decided to binge watch as many of the Resident Evil series as they could. Elliott and Octavio probably picked it so the movie would keep his attention. He would pick out inconsistency between the movies and the games overarching story and they could do whatever it was Elliott was trying to accomplish.

Taejoon's chest seized up for a second while he watched them laugh and smile together. He always knew he wasn't good enough for Elliott Witt. But at least he had him.

_For now._

_._

"Babe?" Elliott's voice was muffled.

Was it because Taejoon's bedroom door was closed? Maybe? Was it because Elliott was using a soft and endearing voice? Possibly. Was it because Taejoon was hiding away from the world under his covers, curled up in a ball half sobbing, half wheezing? That was probably the most likely of the reasons.

"Babe?" He tried again, knocking on the closed door. It wasn't locked or anything. In fact his mom replaced his door handle that had a lock on it for one without because of the last time…

But Elliott didn't know that.

"Stay here." Elliott whispered, and of course Taejoon heard it. Because that meant he brought someone here with him. Someone who wasn't Renee because she would have taken his door off the hinges, again, and barged right on in. "Baby, I'm coming in."

At the very least, Elliott was an amazing boyfriend. He shut the door behind him so whoever was out there couldn't see. Who did he even bring? Next to nobody was allowed over.

It must have been Octavio.

Oh.

Oh, it was Friday. They were all supposed to met up at Elliott's place for movies, so Taejoon could sit in on their date, like the weirdo he was.

"Taejoonie, what's wrong?" It didn't sound like he moved closer. He was still by the door. Closer to leaving than coming in and staying. He could easily decide that Taejoon wasn't worth it. He could leave him for Tav so easily.

"Nothing." He tried to breath. Anything. Counting didn't help.

"Are you okay?" One step in. "Do you need your inhaler or…"

"No!" Taejoon all but yelled. He almost sat up, but he couldn't uncurl himself. He settled for pulling the blanket down and looking at Elliott with red rimmed eyes. "I'm fine, it's just-"

"Anxiety." Elliott finished for him. "Babe, what's going on? Schools okay, what's got you so, so, spooked."

Taejoon loved the way that Elliott phrased it. Nothing Elliott did or said ever made him feel weaker, lesser.

"It's nothing."

"This doesn't look like nothing. If it weren't anything then you would have answered when I texted you and asked if you needed a ride. If it were nothing, when I texted Renee, which I did because I was worried, she wouldn't have told me that she hasn't heard from you since you left school just after lunch."

"I'm fine." Taejoon gulped. It was a lie, but it also wasn't a lie. It wasn't anything big, it was just some bad thoughts leaking in and spoiling everything for him, and apparently everyone else around him. He always managed to fuck up somehow.

"Don't you trust me? Let me help you." Elliott whined, taking another step closer. "Let me love you and help you."

"What if…" He tried. His eyes darted around the room. "What if I'm not worth it? You and Tav could be so much better without a third wheel."

"Oh Taejoon." Elliott sighed, making The snap his head up. He expected to see understanding, but all he saw was worry. "Baby I knew we should have just come clean. I knew you felt kinda… blah, even on good days. But Octavio was so bad at expressing himself. And you're konda bad at understanding people in general, nevermind Tav's weirdness. So I just… I didn't mean for you to get upset."

He explained it so calmly, as if Taejoon would understand even with his cute, but strange, way of wording things.

Taejoon didn't understand people. But Elliott wasn't people, he was Elliott. He was different. And Tae could understand different. He could understand Elliott. Well, when his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. 

"I'm going to get Octavio and we are going to explain this." He stepped away. That's all Taejoon's mind could register. He couldn't think beyond Elliott leaving him.

"Tae?" Octavio's voice rang through. "Hey, having a bad day?"

His steps were so quick, so light, Taejoon didn't have a chance to count them before he felt those thin arms around him, hugging him, grounding him. He held him there, even when he pulled back from the hug, he still stayed as a source of warmth and comfort. 

"Tav." Elliott's voice had an overpowering authority to it. One that Tae had only heard him use with his step-sister, Loba.

"Now?"

"Tae, Octavio didn't want to date me."

"Jesus! Fuck! I'll do it!" Octavio screamed to interrupt Elliott. His hazel eyes widening almost comically. Elliott was right, those two were funny together. They always had been slapstick when they shared lunch on the rooftop with Taejoon and Renee, but now that they properly started talking it was even more amusing.

"I don't…" Tae tried to let out, but he just sputtered.

"Look. I love you. I think, maybe, I always have."

He didn't hear the rest. Later he would ask him to repeat himself. But at the moment that didn't matter.

_I love you_

_I always have_

His eyes locked onto Elliott's. He has a small, sympathetic smile on his face, his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall- a very safe distance from any hugging that might be directed his way.

"So you…"

"Babe, you deserve all the love in the world. I trust Tav with you. And I know being three of us instead of two will take some time, but I think we can make this work."

"You aren't leaving me?"

The both blinked at him. Octavio looked mortified at the thought and all the colour drained from Elliott's face. Elliott was right. They should be a comedy duo. 

"Never! You're stuck with me until I die. Even then I plan to haunt you until you die and we can be ghosts together."

"Hey! What about me?" Tav frowned.

"Bold of you to assume you'll outlive either of us." Elliott shot back with a playful grin.

"Promise?" Taejoon asked.

"To quote you; don't be an idiot."

Tae left the weight on his chest lift. He never thought himself the smartest. Math and science he understood, reading a room not so much. He would probably make mistakes in the future. But now he had two people to help him. To love him.

They would definitely be talking this through later. After the movies, after he had time to think. After Octavio gave him a real confession.

"Sooo…" Elliott wiggled his eyebrows. "When are we having our first hot night together? Taejoon already knows I like to watch."

"YOU IDIOT!"

That's all it took. There was no trace of awkwardness left. All of his fears, well, some of his fears had been eased for the moment. Things would be okay.

"I like to be tied up." Octavio shared. "Don't ask me how I know."

"Oh fuck, you're an idiot too." Tae shook his head. He felt like he had the stupidest smile on his face that he couldn't rid himself of. But it was okay, he didn't have to act calm in front of these two. 

"Now you've got two idiots to deal with. However will you survive?"

"Spite." He answered playfully. It might take a moment to feel better, but he would get there.


End file.
